tarte



Feb. 14, 1956 F, E, TARTE, JR 2,734,745

REVOLVING TARGET WITH PROJECTILE RETURN Filed July 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb- 14, 1956 F. E. TARTE, JR

REVOLVNG TARGET WITH PROJECTILE RETURN Filed July 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Ari/ll i l I. l

1111 lll/l 1111 Il, 1l/l 11111 United States Patent 52,734,745 REVOLVIN G TARGETy WITH PROJCTILE RETURN Franklin E. Tarte, Jr., Media, Pa.

Application July 8, 1953, Serial No..366,742

i8 Claims. (Cl. 2773-103) This linvention relates to game devices of the type in whichptarget receptacles are provided and -fscoring plays are made by tossing `a missile, such as a ball, vthrough the target receptacles.

yOne objectfof this invention is to provide -a novel game device which affords recreation and amusement andwhich is Aconducive to the development ofvskill onthepart of the players.

Another object of the invention is to provide a movable ;t'arget apparatus which has a variety -of integral target receptacles lin a single 4unit to provide a greater skill element.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a game device in which the jtarget receptacles are brought successively into ,a Vtarget position in confronting :relation toa playing position. f

The game device provided by this invention comprises a target unit mounted for `rotary movement about a substantially vertical axis, and a plurality of target receptacles .on said unit `in surrounding relation to v'said axis having `respectively dilerent sized target openings disposed vsubstantially vertically which are Abrought successively into a target position in yconfronting relation Vto Va'playing position fby rotary movement of said-target unit, whereby Veach player at fthe playing position lmay throw one Lor more missiles, such'as balls, at leach target opening. The invention ymay be clearlyV understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, .in which:

Fig. l is Va front of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device .with the top revmoved; and

. shown in Fig. 3, and vdeclined forwardly to .serve vas a return `,runway for missiles used in lplaying the game,

and sideboards 12 and 13 also extending forwardly from theiront of enclosure 10. As lmay be seen vin Fig. v3, a barrier 14 is provided Vat vthe front of the baseboard 1.1torforrn with the bottom thereof a trough :into which the returning missiles gravitate. There is also preferably provided a net arrangement A15 of any `suitable'con'struction `to retain any upwardly deflected missiles.

Disposed mainly within the enclosure '10'is a target unit, designated generally by reference numeral 1.6, which is mounted for rotation about ya substantially vertical axis.

A s may be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the -target unit preferably comprises a hollow structure 17 which forms an enclosure of polygonal shape horizontally, and this structure is xed to a rotatable shaft 18 which extends axially of the polygonal structure and is disposed vertically. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the lower end of shaft 18 extends into a bearing sleeve 19 within a `rccessed supporting block 20, and the lower end of the 2,734,745 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 ICC l2 shaftengages a vball l21 which rserves as a thrust bearing. The upper endfof the shaft extends through an aperture 22 in the'top `of 'the 'enclosure -10 and is l'free to rotate in said aperture.

*In 'the form of 'the vtarget unit shown, the structure 17 is 'of pentagonal shape horizontally, having five apertured `vertical faces thereon designated 231:0 27 respectively. Withinfthe'pentagonal structure there arefve radial vertical Walla-'designated 28 to 32 respectively, which divide Athe structure intohve compartments. The top v33 of `thestr`11c't1`1`r'e 17 is vsubstantially planar, while the bottorn "34 comprises ffve sections forming oors for the five compartments. Each of these Yiloors is declined toward the axi's of the polygonal structure, as may be clearly seen in Fig. 3, 'andfea'choor is provided with an inwardly 'disposed aperture V3S 'through which a returningvmssile Imay pas's. At 'the center of 'the multisection bottom '34 there :isa hub 36 `through which the shaft 18 extends.' The hub is notched as shown at 37 to receive Ya v`transverse 'pin'BS by which th'e 'structure 17 is mounted `on shaft 18. 'The upper part ofthe shaft simply extends through'an aperture 39 inthe top 33.

On :the respective faces A'23 to 27 of the targetunt therea're provided ftarget receptacles designated by 'reference numerals 40 to 144. These target receptacles `are preferably.of'frustconical form, :and they have respectively `different sized target openings. Thus, the target receptacle Y'40 .has lthe (largest target opening, and the target openings of the other.ta1g'et receptacles decrease progressively in ysize-'clockwise lof 'the target unit, as viewed in Fig. 2, :the target opening of `target receptacle '44 being the smallestopeninrg. The frust-conical form of the .targetre'ceptacles .is f'de'sirable because when viewed 'from thveffronteachtarget receptacle appears as acircu- 'lar target Ywith the ltarget kopening elfectiv'ely'framed Vby yan annulus, `as may 'be Vseen .in Fig. l. Preferably, 'the `target receptacles are outwardly convergent 'with v'the :target opening disposed outwardly, but they can lbe i'nwardly `convergent with ithe target 'opening disposed wardly. As lillustrated in the drawings, the 'target receptacles-may comprise a `frame iand a net, simulating generally the basket `ofabasketbll game. The net vmay be formed yof :any vsuitable material, such as wire or plastic.

Asmay .be clearly seen in Figs. l and 3, the front wall 45 of .therear enclosure is provided witha relatively .large opening 46, and is also provided with a lower opening 47. The target unit is arranged in Vrelation .to the Wall 45 so that it extends through the opening 46 which is shaped ot accommodate the target unit. Rotation of the target unit moves the target receptacles successively into a target .position forwardly of the wall 45 in confronting relation to a playing position in front of the device. The `target openings of the target receptacles are disposed vertically, and the general object of the game is to toss missiles, such as balls, e. g. -in the manner of throwing darts, through the target opening of the target receptacle which is in the target position in confronting relation to the player. A missile entering the target receptacle drops through the opening 35 of the associated 'compartment and falls onto a declined runway 48 and through the opening 47 onto the rdeclined baseboard 11.

The invention contemplates that the target unit 16 shall be rotatable either manually or by suitable power means. If desired, the target unit may be driven by an arrangement such as shown in my copending application Serial No. 371,693, filed July 3l, 1953, which enables automatic rotation either intermittently or continuously. rIn the particular form of the device illustrated, an arrangement is provided for manual rotation of the target unit from one position to another to bring the target Vrepresent one of the quarters.

receptacles successively into the target position in confronting relation to the playing position. In the arrangement shown, a rotatable knob 49 is provided on the forwards end of a shaft 50 extending through a bushing or sleeve 51 fixed within an aperture 52 of wall 45. The knob 49 has a pointer 53 which cooperates with tive markings on wall 45 representative respectively of the tive target receptacles. On the rear of shaft 50 there is mounted a bevel gear 54 which meshes with a bevel gear 55 fixed to shaft 1S. In order to establish live discrete positions of the target unit, in each of which there will be a target receptacle in the target position in confronting relation to the playing position, there are provided on the top of structure 17 ve upwardly extending pins designated 56 to 60 respectively; and there is also provided a U-shaped detent member 61 which is pivotally suspended from the top of enclosure by means of hangers 62 and 63. A spring 64 is arranged to bias the pivotally mounted detent member 61 forwardly for engagement of the lower part thereof with the above-mentioned pins. In the specific device shown, the hangers 62 and 63 are in the form of eye bolts, and the U-shaped member 61 has inwardly turned ends extending into the eye bolts. The spring 64 is generally of U-shape with the closed portion of the U engaging the underside of the top of enclosure 10, and with the end portions of the spring coiled about the inturned ends of member 61 and engaging the side legs of this member. In any one of the five discrete positions of the rotatable target unit, the springbiased detent member 61 engages two of the above-mentioned pins to retain the target unit in that position until it is moved therefrom by rotation of knob 49. Thus,

Fig 2 shows the detent member 61 to be in engagement with pins 58 and 59 to retain the target unit in the position in which the target receptacle is vin the target position in confronting relation to the playing position.

To provide for the keeping of scores of two players or two teams, there are provided two scoring dials 65 and 66 which are disposed behind wall 45 and are mounted on shafts extending through said wall and rotatably supported thereby, with knobs 67 and 68 on said shafts in front of wall for manual rotation of the dials. The dials contain scoring numbers, for example, 2, 4, 6 etc., which are brought successively, by rotation of the dials, into alignment with window openings 69 and 70 provided in wall 45. The dials 65 and 66 have spaced peripheral notches 71 and 72 therein, and associated with the dials are spring detents 73 and 74 which cooperate with the notches to retain the dials in discrete positions.

One way of using the game device is to allow each player, or each team of players, a predetermined number of shots at each target receptacle. The game may be divided into four quarters, simulating the game of basketball, and each of the first four target receptacles may Thus, the first target receptacle 40 may represent the first quarter, the second target receptacle 41 may represent the second quarter, and so on. In playing the game the players, or teams, will shoot successively at the irst target, and then the target unit will be moved to bring the second target receptacle into target position. The respective scores of the players, or teams, will be kept on the scoring dials. The player, or team, having the highest score at the end of four quarters of play will be declared the winner. In the event of a tie at the end of the four quarters of play, an extra period may be played, as in basketball, each player, or each team, having a certain number of shots in the extra period. If desired, the fifth target receptacle 44, which may be classed as a bulls-eye, may be used during the playing of an extra period in the event of a tie.

Instead of manual adjustment of the target unit from one position to another, as in the illustrated device, the target unit may be power driven either intermittently or continuously at a low rate, as previously mentioned. In the case of continuous rotation, the players will be shooting at a slowly moving target receptacle, and in the event that a ball strikes a target receptacle other than the one in play, this may be regarded as a foul and the player, or team, making such foul may be penalized one throw, or a free throw may be awarded to the other side.

By way of specific example, the game device may be constructed on a scale about three times that of the drawings, and it may be placed on a table of suitable height. The balls used may have a diameter of 1% inches and are preferably constructed with a cork center surrounded by rubber. The five target openings may range in diameter from about 3 inches to about 1% inches. rlhus, the diameters of the tive target openings may be 3 inches, 2% inches, 21/2 inches, 2 inches and 1% inches.

While a particular embodiment of the device has been illustrated and described, the invention is not limited thereto, but contemplates such modifications and other embodiments as may occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a game device, a target unit mounted for rotary movement about a substantially vertical axis, said unit comprising a hollow structure of polygonal shape horizontally having apertured outer vertical faces and also having radial partitions dividing the interior of said structure into compartments disposed respectively behind said apertured faces, and target receptacles on said faces having respectively different sized target openings disposed substantially vertically which are brought succesively into a target position in confronting relation to a playing position by rotary movement of said target unit, whereby a player at the playing position may throw one or more missiles at each target opening, each of said compartments having an opening at the bottom thereof through which a missile entering the compartment through the associated target receptacle may leave the compartment.

2. A game device according to claim 1, including manually-operable means for effecting rotary `movement of said target unit, and indexing and detent means for retaining the target unit in each of the positions in which one of the target receptacles is in the target position in confronting relation to the playing position.

3. A game device according to claim 1, wherein said hollow structure is of pentagonal shape horizontally.

4. A game device according to claim 1, wherein said target receptacles are of frusto-conical form.

5. A game device according to claim 4, wherein said target receptacles are outwardly convergent.

6. In a game device, a target unit mounted for rotary movement about a substantially vertical axis, said unit comprising a hollow structure of polygonal shape horizontally having apertured outer vertical faces and also having radial partitions dividing the interior of said structure into compartments disposed respectively behind said apertured faces, target receptacles on said faces having respectively dilerent sized target openings disposed substantially vertically which are brought successively into a target position in confronting relation to a playing position by rotary movement of said target unit, whereby a player at the playing position may throw one or more missiles at each target opening, each of said compartments having an opening at the bottom thereof through which a missile entering the compartment through the associated target receptacle may leave the compartment, and a runway arranged to receive missiles from each compartment when the associated target receptacle is in the target position to receive missiles thrown from the playing position.

7. A game device according to claim 6, wherein each of said compartments has a lioor which is declined toward the vertical axis of said hollow structure, the missiledischarging opening of each compartment being disposed inwardly at the lower part of the declined oor.

8. In a game device, a target unit mounted for rotary movement about a substantially vertical axis, said unit comprising a hollow structure of polygonal shape horizontally having outer vertical target faces and also having internal partition means dividing the interior of said structure into compartments disposed respectively behind said target faces, and different sized target means on said faces which are brought successively into a target position in confronting relation to a playing position by rotary movement of said target unit, whereby a player at the playing position may throw one or more missiles at each target means, each of said compartments having an opening at the bottom thereof through which a missile entering the compartment through the associated target means may leave the compartment.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McCullough June 6, 1899 Smith June 5, 1906 Parker Oct. 8, 1907 Bugbee Mar. 14, 1911 Maisch Jan. 2, 1917 Hart Ian. 16, 1917 Pars Dec. 11, 1917 Madden Feb. 1, 1927 Longstreet Aug. 2, 1938 Memmel Nov. 1, 1949 Hatley Mar. 20, 1951 Watson Sept. 23, 1952 

